


Peter's Sole Response

by ARTofOTK



Category: White Collar (TV 2009)
Genre: Corporal Punishment, Discipline, Gen, Non-Sexual, POV Peter Burke, Punishment, Spanking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-12 04:21:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29129433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ARTofOTK/pseuds/ARTofOTK
Summary: Peter's fed up with Neal's disrespectful and reckless behaviour, so he decides to teach him a lesson the good old-fashioned way... (Contains a paternal spanking scene! Don't like, don't read!)
Relationships: Elizabeth Burke/Peter Burke, Peter Burke & Neal Caffrey
Comments: 3
Kudos: 37





	Peter's Sole Response

**Author's Note:**

> Here's a long overdue fill for a challenge from LJ's "Spanking World" community. I had three prompts to work with: "Under the arm / Any type of shoe / In front of witnesses" (The rest shouldn't take too long to finish writing, but I also want to include a piece of artwork... so we'll see! lol... ) I apologize for my inactivity, hoping to respond to old messages soon. Times have been extra rough and it's been difficult to focus on my spanky art and writing, but I've been slowly assembling this story and am happy to share what I have for now... I've drawn for this fandom a couple times before but have never written anything. Hope it's enjoyed! :)

(Peter's POV)

I finished packing up and stepped out of my office just as Jones finished removing Neal’s tracking anklet, which he’d been instructed to do during our morning brief. He brought it over to me and asked, “You holding on to this?”

“Yeah, thanks. I’ll get it back on him after we’re done.” I jammed the device into my coat pocket and then glanced over at Neal, seeing that he was still seated even though the rest of the team was pitching to leave. He had his left foot up on his desk, probably put there so that Jones didn’t have to bend over. His pant leg was still pulled up, showing off a diamond patterned sock.

I waited a long moment, expecting him to stand, but instead he brought his right foot up to join the other, completely careless of the laid out documents on his desk. He crossed his ankles and leaned back on his chair, which made me frown. Neal knew I didn’t like him lounging like that with his feet up, especially not at work! I’d already told him off about it on a few occasions, although I never really got too angry. He always seemed apologetic, as if it was a bad habit he was having trouble breaking... My patience had a habit of waning, though.

“Off,” I said in a mildly strict tone, gesturing at the expensive leather shoes. Neal’s eyes darted at me – but, instead of looking contrite, he just smirked and then didn’t budge an inch. So, this was a deliberate act of defiance. I sighed, thinking back to when I had picked him up from June’s that morning...

Once in my car, he'd begun chattering about a new cafe that had opened up a few blocks outside his radius. I had partially listened to his description of the “ultra-modern menu” and “distinctive brew”, blah blah blah... It all sounded overrated (and overpriced, probably) but I managed to refrain from voicing my opinion, not wanting to be a downer. I wouldn’t ever openly admit it but Neal was pretty adorable when he was excited about food. My wife loved it, seeing him act like a giddy kid.

Most of my attention had been on the upcoming undercover assignment Hughes had given my team to handle - specifically, for Neal to. It involved a successful group of thieves and he was supposed to show off his skills and pretend to want in on their next big heist. He’d done similar assignments before but I was worried (more than usual) because we hadn’t had much time to prepare. I’d been eager to get to the office so we didn’t have to rush the brief. I thought it would be important to discuss more contingency plans and get Neal to review the character he was supposed to play some more. So, when he suggested we visit the new cafe before work, I’d been less than fond of the idea...

~

“ _Sorry, Neal, but we don’t have time.”_

“ _Aw, come on, Peter!” he whined, “Aren’t you sick of the crap that comes out of the coffee machine at work?”_

“ _No...”_

“ _Liar!”_

_I grumbled, “Did you forget that you’ve got to prepare to go undercover today?”_

_Neal laughed, “What’s there to prepare for? I’m a conman playing a conman!”_

~

That statement had instantly put me a sour mood and I’d spent the rest of the drive lecturing Neal on the dangers of being unprepared, not letting him get a word in.So, I wasn’t surprised that his mood had soured in return.Even after telling him to sit beside me during the brief, he’d sat a couple chairs away instead and then directed an attitude at me the whole time, just enough for me to notice... but I’d done my best not to show it. I was hoping he’d get over our disagreement in the car but he was just trying harder to piss me off now, that much was clear.

The immaturity was astounding but we didn’t have time for another lecture. I wanted everyone to keep their attention on the upcoming operation so I just marched by Neal and delivered a light slap to one shoe. “Let’s get to work,” was all I said before making my way to the elevator. I didn’t even raise my voice.

Behind me, I overheard Diana quip to Neal, “You’re lucky, Caffrey. My gran would’ve spanked me for putting my dirty shoes on the furniture.”

I held back a chuckle. The thought of doing that to Neal was beyond ridiculous, tempting as it would be to teach him a lesson the good old-fashioned way. I could honestly say that getting my hide tanned by my father had helped me to stay on the right track, but Neal was an adult! Plus, he wasn’t my son... despite El’s teasing.

All I could do was hope he’d smarten up before getting himself into real trouble.

*******

To my immense relief, the undercover assignment went as well as could’ve been hoped for. Neal’s ability to charm a room of criminals irritated and impressed me at the same time. I didn’t like him acting the part of an active felon, not when he was supposed to be leaving that lifestyle behind – but he got us all the information we needed to prevent an upcoming string of heists. Arrests would be made, and soon. Neal had done his job perfectly and I was looking forward to praising him when he returned to the office. I also planned on rewarding him with whatever fancy coffee he wanted! It would clear the tension between us, too.

Hughes was in my office, seated in front of my desk. I had requested that he wait with me, wanting to give Neal the chance to report all the details of the successful operation himself. Maybe Hughes would learn to give Neal more credit and let news spread through the bureau that he’d grown to be a valuable consultant... but minutes ticked by until it was nearly six o’clock, way past time for Neal to have met me here. I had returned early, riding the surveillance van. Assuming eyes might be on him at the site of the sting, Neal had been supposed to grab a cab after his performance. My worry for the kid was growing as he hadn’t been answering his cell.

Hughes looked down at his watch before breathing out a sigh through his nose. I cringed, seeing his mouth open to speak, but he was beat by a ping from my phone. I quickly flipped it open to check the text message. It was from El: **I** **s everything okay?** **You said you wouldn’t be working late tonight and** **Neal’** **s already over** **! ♥**

There was a split second of relief that was fizzled out by a pique of rage... _What the hell, Neal!?_

Hughes inquired, “Is that your boy telling you he’s sailing away on a stolen yacht?” and my heart skipped a beat before I detected the amusement in his voice. He wasn’t serious, thank God, but that would change if he found out that _my boy_ had ignored the clear order I’d given him to meet me here. Instead, he’d gone somewhere without informing me... while I still had his tracking anklet in my pocket!

Hughes could not – _would_ not find out about that. Neal was already on thin nice after some inappropriate behaviour on a couple previous cases, which I had hoped today’s success would put a balm over.

I was able to keep the anger from my face although I felt it turning red as I thought quickly and replied (emphasis on ‘lied’) to my superior, “Uh, no, sir! Sorry, but I... I completely forgot that I instructed him to go to my place after our operation instead of back here, so he... he’s been waiting for me while we’ve been waiting for him. I don’t know how I didn’t remember until now. I apologize for wasting your time, sir!”

Hughes frowned but waved off my apologies. He said, “No worries, Burke,” then gave me an assessing look before adding, “It’s been a hectic day, I think you better go on and get some rest anyway. Have Caffrey make his report on Monday.”

I forced a smile, “Yes, sir, thank you.” We bid each other a good weekend and I texted El to let her know I was on my way. Then I stomped all the way to my car and had to take several deep breaths before starting the engine...

_Neal Caffrey, you’ve got some explaining to do!_

*******

I spotted the source of my ire two seconds after entering my home. Neal was on my sofa, petting Satchmo with one hand and holding a cup of coffee in the other. I grit my teeth as I read the logo on the side of it. It was from that damn cafe Neal had wanted to go to! Of _course_ he’d taken advantage of his temporary freedom to do something that had been denied him, no matter the risk. I also spotted his cell phone on the side table, its screen showing alerts from my missed calls.

It took all of my will power to stop myself from slamming the door shut as hard as I could... El still heard me, though, and she yelled from the kitchen, “Welcome home, hon! Dinner will be ready soon!”

Satchmo came to nuzzle my hand and that calmed me a little – until Neal greeted me too, giving me a chipper, “Hey, Peter!” as if he’d done absolutely nothing wrong.

I glared at him and said sternly, “You were supposed to go back to the office. I made that very clear, didn’t I?”

He held his cup up, as if toasting me, and said, “Yeah, well, I thought I deserved to treat myself, even if no one else does. Sorry I didn’t get you one. My hands are talented, sure, but I still would’ve had a hard time going around New York carrying a couple hot drinks,” then he smirked and added, “Anyway, I didn’t think you’d appreciate it, what with your, uh... unique taste in coffee.”

 _Oh,_ the _nerve_ _!_ I wanted to wipe that smug expression off his face!

Then he had the gall to add, “And a master thief ought to have one free hand at all times, you know? There are pockets to pick, watches to swipe... all that fun stuff.”

That made me seethe and I actually felt a vein twitch in my forehead! Diana’s comment came to mind and suddenly all I wanted to do was – _No!_ I would _not_ be goaded into having some sort of crazy outburst! I took a deep breath and decided to move on to resolving one initial issue. After hanging up my coat, I took out the tracking anklet that had been inside it all day.

“Put this back on,” I ordered. Neal pouted at the sight of it and put his coffee down on the low table in front of him. I expected an argument, at least some stalling.

To my surprise, he said, “Fine,” but then he put his arms up, folding them behind his head as he relaxed against the couch before raising his left leg and letting his foot hover over the table. He sent me a sly look... _Oh,_ he wouldn’t _dare!_ Blood pulsed in my ears as I grit my teeth, though that didn’t stop me from hearing him finish with, “but you can do it yourself!”

Neal dropped his foot, the heel of his shoe landing heavily against the glass table top. Before I could tell him off, I caught his expression shift to shock when the coffee he had just put on the table tipped to its side. The plastic lid popped off and let the dark liquid spill out. It spread quickly and cascaded to the floor.

“SHIT!” we both yelled.

“You boys okay?” El came out of the kitchen in the middle of removing her apron. Then she let out a gasp at the spilled coffee.

I wasn’t sure if it was the distraught expression on my wife’s face or the sight of the growing stain on my light coloured rug, but something snapped in me. Whatever professional control I’d been trying so hard to maintain against Neal’s disrespect was shoved aside as I settled on showing the younger man what he actually “deserved” _._ I rushed forward and tossed the anklet onto the sofa’s side table, then I grabbed his left foot, pulling it up in the air so that I didn’t have to stoop down while I yanked at his shoe’s perfectly tied laces.

“Uh, Peter?” Neal laughed nervously, “Did you forget how the thing works? You don’t gotta take my shoe off!”

I ignored him until I finished doing just that, keeping a hold of his shoe but releasing his socked foot. Neal planted it on the floor and glanced over at El with a puppy dog expression, probably ready to apologize (to her, _not_ to me) but I got his attention back by shaking his shoe at him and shouting angrily, “I’m fed up with your inability – no, your _refusal_ to follow simple instructions and pay me some goddamned respect! Since you can’t keep your shoe on the floor, then I’ll put it to good use somewhere else!” Neal’s brows creased in confusion and then rose in alarm when I forcefully pulled him up to stand.

He tried to pull away, yelling, “Hey, what are you doing!”

“This!” I said and bent him over, under my left arm.

I cinched Neal against my side as I raised his shoe in the air, gripping it tight before swinging it down in one swift arc. The flat of the leather sole made a muffled popping sound as it connected with the seat of his suit pants. He gasped out a surprised, “Oh!” and twisted his body, but I kept him in position well enough to deliver another couple smacks to his vulnerable rear... _Pop! Pop!_

“PETER!” Both El and Neal yelled out my name at the same time, pitches high.

“He’s earned this,” I told my wife matter-of-factually as I brought down the shoe again. It felt comfortable in my hand, I couldn’t help but think. A perfect fit.

Neal shouted, “No! No way – _O_ _w_ _!_ Let me _g_ _o_ _!_ _”_ as he tried and failed to manoeuvre himself out of the strong band my arm had made around his trim waist. He let out a string of curses after realizing how stuck he was, and then Satchmo began barking at me from behind.

 _Great..._ My boss thought I was forgetful, my wife probably thought I was out of my mind, and now my dog thought I was a brute! As for Neal, he probably thought he was so damn smart! So damn _invincible!_ Well, he probably didn’t feel like that now, I mused in satisfaction as I delivered a few more quick smacks across his rounded backside. He bent his legs up in turns to try and block me but I easily aimed around his feet. Then I felt his fist pound the back of my leg, but it didn’t hurt enough to deter me.

What it _did_ do was make me spank harder. I aimed lower, too, at the more sensitive sit spots. He stopped hitting me and wrapped his hand around my shin to brace himself instead.

“Owww! Don’t, Pet _er_ _rr!_ _”_ Neal protested and then he took a deep breath before crying out louder, “STOP!” but I ignored him and kept striking his wriggling behind, glad that his ever suave facade had been taken down at last. Then my wife said it too... so I did. I stopped.

El quickly stepped around the table to face me as I kept a hold of Neal in between us, still under my arm as he caught his breath. I lowered his shoe to rest against the small of his back, feeling it make subtle movements in tandem with his squirming. She put her hand on my shoulder, squeezing, and her expression was a cross between outrage and confusion. “Oh my God, Peter! You... you’ve got to explain this to me! Why are you punishing him? It was just a spill!”

“It’s not about the spill, hon.”

“Then you’re doing this because he put his feet on the furniture?””

“No! Well – partly, yeah – but this is about much more than that!”

She frowned at me and then turned her attention to Neal, moving her hand down to stroke his hair away from his forehead. “Do you know what this is about, Neal?”

Neal sniffled before craning his neck around and saying, “He’s been a grump all day! He yelled at me for wanting to get us some decent coffee before work, and so I decided to just get some afterwards... but – but – he doesn’t want me to do me do anything nice for myself!”

That sounded ridiculous. The kid was making it too simple! Did he really not understand the issue here? “El, you know I wouldn’t be doing this unless it was something bigger.”

Still petting Neal, she looked back up at me and searched my face for a short moment before saying, “I know, Peter, but don’t you think we should’ve talked about something like this before you did it? This is _our_ home, and Neal’s my friend too! Did you expect me to just back off and watch without understanding? And it’s clear that Neal doesn’t completely understand what he’s done wrong either. So you need to calm down and explain it to both of us... Okay, hon?”

I thought over everything she was saying and sighed. As usual, she was right.

“Sorry, El... Okay, I’ll explain.”

I allowed Neal to straighten up and then pushed him down to sit on the couch. His hair was dishevelled, face pink, and his knees were confined between mine and Elizabeth’s as we stood facing one another. I didn’t feel any sympathy for him at all when he hissed in discomfort and shifted with an exaggerated whimper. He seeped a hand under his right butt cheek and made as if to stand.

I pointed a finger at him and warned, “Hey, no rubbing! And you better keep your butt glued to that cushion or else it’ll get a lot sorer, a lot faster!”

He looked intimidated for a moment and settled back down, but then he crossed his arms and glared up at me. His mouth opened around a nasty comment, no doubt, but then he seemed to think better of it and gave my wife an imploring gaze instead, whining, “Elizabeth _,_ _please!_ Your husband’s lost his mind! Tell him he can’t spa... uh, can’t _beat_ me!” I rolled my eyes, thinking how unfair it was that he could put on such a hurt and innocent face. My doe eyes had never been even half as effective as his baby blues.

“Oh, sweetie,” my wife cooed, “I’ll talk to him. Everything will be okay.”

 _Geez..._ At this rate, Neal would be getting _me_ in trouble! I spoke up, “He needlessly endangered himself today.”

El gasped, “Is that true, Neal? You said you went undercover... Were you hurt? Were you not being careful?”

Neal immediately scoffed and replied, “I don’t know what he’s talking about! I did things by the book, I swear! Followed the script and got out safely. No problem at all, thanks to me!”

I sighed and said irritably, “I’m talking about what you did afterwards! You were supposed to meet me at the office around five o’clock, like I told you to. You were late, but I waited and waited until El let me know you wound up here!” I pinched the bridge of my nose and added, “With your anklet off, I should’ve _known_ you’d try and get away with going somewhere outside of your radius, traipsing around the city with neither my knowledge or approval!”

Neal scowled, “Traipsing around? I just got a coffee for God’s sake!”

I wagged my finger at him, “Doesn’t matter! You disobeyed me! Damn it, _y_ _ou’ve_ been the grumpy one, acting like some cranky little kid who didn’t get the chocolate bar he wanted. You had a tantrum! Hell, you’ve been giving me a bratty attitude all day, being disrespectful and putting your feet up on your desk just to piss me off, right? To get back at me for wanting you to just -”

Neal bitterly interrupted, “To just be good little criminal, right? You want me to shut up and sit tight unless I’m following orders, huh? To... to not expect any kind of freedom! You’d rather I be chained down most of the time!”

My mouth hung open and El made an aghast sound. She moved as if to sit beside Neal, to probably hug him, but I quickly touched her elbow. We made eye contact and I silently communicated that I wanted to handle this. She bit her lip and nodded, stepping back a bit, and then I knelt down on one knee. My eyes were more level with Neal’s now although he had turned his head away.

“Look at me, Neal.” He didn’t, but then I put down the shoe I’d been holding and laid my hand on his knee. “Please,” I added, with a gentle squeeze. I waited several seconds before he met my gaze with a pout. Then I asked softly, “Do you actually think that? That... that’s how I want you to act?” No reply, so I squeezed again and said, “Please, buddy, I need to know if you believe I want to... to _mistreat_ you like that.”

The younger man grimaced and replied, surprisingly adamant, “ _No_ , Peter... I don’t, but...” he uncrossed his arms and fiddled with a sleeve as he continued, “I can’t help but feel like it, sometimes, you know?”

“Can you tell me why?”

“Well, uh... you’ve got so many rules, and – and you’re too strict! I don’t get enough breaks and I have a really hard time doing a lot of the things you assign me. They’re so boring and... _Hey!”_ Neal’s self-pitying tone suddenly shifted to annoyance and I couldn’t really blame him. I was laughing pretty hard.

So hard, in fact, that I had to gesture for El to help me out. She was struggling to hide a smile so I knew we were on the same page. She went ahead and sat on the couch, one leg bent beneath her so that she could more easily face Neal, “Oh, sweetie, can I ask you a personal question? Just, um... a yes-or-no one.”

Neal nodded warily, still sparing a peeved glance in my direction.

“Have you had a job before? Like, I mean, a real one. Oh, shoot, how do I...”

“It’s okay, I get it – and no, I haven’t. I started conning people when I was pretty young and that’s how I made a living until, well... you probably know the story.” His eyes flickered with a hint of chagrin and I gave one last chuckle before deciding to just get to the point.

“What you’re describing, it’s just how most workplaces are. You follow the rules and complete your tasks, which aren’t all supposed to be exciting. In fact, most aren’t! Maybe you were hoping to be more entertained when you got to work with the FBI, but that’s just not what a good day’s work entails here. Sure, sometimes what we do can be pretty thrilling, but that’s not what we do them for. You can understand that, right?”

Neal looked a little put out but said, “Yeah, alright,” before mumbling under his breath, “all work and no play...”

I pretended not to hear that last bit and went on to say, “Bosses are usually strict, by the way. We have to be, especially in law enforcement when a single mistake can be the difference between life and death. So, I’ll admit I can be a hard ass, but I’m not like this to give you a bad time. I just expect you to respect my orders like everyone else who works under me. I try to treat you like Diana and Jones.”

“But you don’t!” Neal huffed, “You never hound them for details about what they do all day! You don’t have them on a freaking leash!”

I sighed, “Fine, you’re right. When they’re not working, when they’re at home or with family, I don’t _want_ to interfere with their personal lives. With you, though, I _have_ to! Like it or not, you’re my responsibility twenty-four seven. You get... special treatment, yeah, but that’s the way it is, right? At least until your sentence is over. It’s fair, isn’t it? I mean, the only reason you’re not stuck in a cell right now is because I convinced a lot of people that I could keep my eye on you!” More glumly, I added, “I thought I could, but... you’re making it so damn difficult!”

Neal’s temper seemed to have seeped away at my reasoning, but he still returned to his earlier point with some frustration, “It was just a coffee...”

“It was still reckless!” I countered, desperate to get through to him, “It’s my job to know where you are, but I didn’t! And you _knew_ I didn’t, but it seems like you didn’t think of the potential consequences. Why couldn’t you just answer your phone? This could’ve been bad, Neal... Hughes was staying late with me, waiting for you too.”

“Oh _no_ , Peter! Did he...” El was alarmed and I quickly appeased her.

“Don’t worry, I covered for him. Had to lie but thank God he bought it. It would’ve been trouble if you hadn’t texted me, though! I don’t think Hughes even knew that Neal had his anklet off. If he’d asked me to get his coordinates, well... then the Marshals might’ve been called. I’m not sure what I could’ve done.” I felt sick just imagining that kind of situation.

El’s eyes hardened and she turned her attention back to Neal, “Did you forget that Peter instructed you to meet him at the office?”

Neal cringed. “No, but -”

“But you chose to disobey him instead, isn’t that right? To get back at him for being too strict?”

Neal bit his lip and went for the puppy eyes again, but El resisted.

“Yes or no, Neal.”

“Yeah, uh, _yes_ , okay... but I was frustrated, so -”

“Is that a good enough reason to take the risk you did? As harmless as getting a coffee sounds, Peter’s right. You needlessly endangered yourself today! You’re a smart young man – _brilliant,_ even – so I’m having a hard time believing that you didn’t consider the worst case scenario here. Tell me... with your anklet off, did you even consider the possibility that someone other than Peter would want to know where you were?”

Neal muttered, “Sure, yeah, I knew there was a chance that could happen! But, whoever it was... well, they’d have to go to Peter first, so...” He blinked and trailed off, looking regretful and stiffening in his seat.

I registered what had gone unsaid and didn’t expect to feel as hurt as I did. I shoved that aside, allowing myself to get angry again, and I cut the silence sharply, “Damn it, Neal! You _knew_ I’d cover for you!” I picked his shoe back up and got to my feet. “I think that’s enough sitting and talking. You understand why I’m punishing you now so you can think long and hard about it while I make sure you feel very _very_ sorry.” I smacked the sole against my palm and ordered, “Get up!”

Neal shook his head frantically and sunk back as far as he could against the couch. “No, no! Not that again! Elizabeth, you can’t let him!”

My wife, however much she adored Neal, seemed to be on my side. She put her hand on his shoulder and said admonishingly, “I don’t know what disappoints me more. You risking your chance at freedom, which my husband chose to give you. Or you relying on him to risk his job – our _livelihood_ _–_ to cover for you!”

Neal looked like he’d been slapped in the face, as if just now realizing the trouble he could’ve caused. My wife had a talent, bringing clarity to the dimmest situations. “I didn’t mean... oh, God, I – I’m sorry...”

While the remorse in his voice was a relief to hear, it wasn’t enough. He was admitting to his mistake, but would he want to atone for it? Learn from it? A logical part of me warned that my career could be over if Neal reported my actions, but my instincts told me that teaching him a lesson was the right decision to make. Even with a clearer head now, I wasn’t regretting the idea of spanking my wayward consultant.

I was about to reach for him, to force him up and under my arm again, but El shooed me away with her hand. “Thank you for apologizing,” she said to Neal before leaning closer to him. His eyes went wide when she began to undo his tie, then even wider when she explained, “I think you can still use a good spanking, though, so let’s get you more comfortable.” He stuttered out a weak objection but she ignored it, sliding the silky material from his collar before neatly laying it down on the table, away from the puddle of coffee. After briskly unfastening the button at his neck, she asked, “Do you have anything in your pockets? Keys?” She looked down at his waist and put her hand out, palm up.

He hesitated, so I barked, “Empty ‘em!” not wanting my wife to decide to handle that herself – _nope_ _–_ and I couldn’t convince myself that she wouldn’t. I was hiding it well, but Neal wasn’t the only one surprised by her forwardness. I hadn’t expected her to suddenly be so on board with my decision to physically discipline a grown adult and I wondered about her encouraging attitude, but, _later..._ I needed to focus on Neal, who’d gone back to defending himself.

“Guys, c’mon... I’m in the wrong here, I see that now, so there’s no need to resort to this! I’m sorry, okay, Peter? Really sorry! Can’t you just put me on desk duty? I’ll drink nothing but the crappy office coffee for a month!” He immediately backtracked, “Um, wait, maybe a week of that’s torture enough, don’t you think?”

I fought down a grin and shook my head. “I’ve tried punishing you with desk duty before but that didn’t seem so effective. Your behaviour actually worsened, as I recall...”

Neal smartly decided not to argue about that and changed tactics. “Oh, how about reducing my radius? You could confine me to my apartment!”

“Would you seriously prefer that, Neal? What about your analogies to chains and leashes? I think, between losing any more of your freedom or just having a hard time sitting for a while, that you’d handle the latter a lot better.”

Neal bit his lip and I could tell he couldn’t deny it. Being locked up would not be good for him.

El chimed in, “Sweetie, it’s worth trying something different, isn’t it? Peter doesn’t want to punish you like a criminal and you wouldn’t want that either. He also thinks punishing you like an employee isn’t the best way and you believe that too, right? So...” She sent a nod my way, wanting me to carry on with her point, and I knew she was hoping I’d say something cheesy about how I was beginning to see Neal as... family. Not a criminal, and not just someone who I worked with.

I decided to do so in a roundabout way. “I want to handle you like my father would’ve done. If I had acted so irresponsibly with him in charge, he would’ve set me straight with a spanking. You’ve had a taste, but we were far from finished... Now, you can decide not to let me carry on with this type of punishment, but then you can quit expecting _any_ special treatment from me. So, put your freedom at stake again, and I won’t even _consider_ covering for you like I did today. You understand what I’m saying, Neal?”

“I – okay, I understand, Peter... but I’m not good with pain! That – what you did – it really hurts!” He looked down at his shoe in my hand with frightful eyes.

“That’s the idea. It should deter you from making the same mistake again unless you want another dose.”

Neal looked even more horrified. “Another? You... you would spank me _again?_ ”

I couldn’t confirm that. It really depended on how tonight went but I didn’t voice that thought out loud. I wanted Neal to see that I believed this could be good for him. “Well, I won’t have to if you actually gave me the respect I deserve and followed orders... You’d do your best to do that, wouldn’t you? If it meant not getting another spanking?”

Neal broke eye-contact with me before saying, “Yeah, of course, uh... I’d try...” I frowned at his noncommittal tone and words. That wouldn’t do... I’d aim to get a proper answer out of him tonight. Speaking of which, it was getting late...

“What’s your call, Neal? And whatever you choose, you can’t change your mind.”

I had never seen him look so genuinely conflicted before. No facade of a grin or manipulative gleam in his eyes. After a long moment, he sighed and stood up. I held my breath, unable to guess what had been running through his head. Then, to my relief, he reached into his pockets and took out a key chain, a money clip, and a comb. He put them with his tie on the table and faced me before murmuring quietly, “No one’s ever spanked me before. My – my parents... Well, I was never punished much as a kid.”

I resisted the urge to say, “Well that explains a lot!” and wondered if he was admitting that he could’ve used some firmer discipline when he was younger. Or was he just trying to get me to go easier on him? I couldn’t really blame him, especially if he’d never experienced corporal punishment before. I patted his shoulder and tried for a soothing tone, telling him, “Let’s get this over with. Then you’ll have a clean slate and eat dinner with us, alright?”

“It’s pasta – linguine, with that white wine sauce you like,” my wife informed sweetly, “and there’s cheesecake for desert!” Neal actually perked up at that. I wondered if all he’d had was that one cup of coffee today. Well, the half he hadn’t spilled.

With just a hint of a smile, Neal said, “That sounds really good,” and then he took a deep breath and gave me a small but unmistakable nod... I took that as my cue to proceed.

“Hon, could you please put Satchmo in the yard?” I didn’t want him distressed or barking so loud again.

“Oh, yes, we better...” El got up from the couch and gave Neal a little peck on his cheek before calling to our dog. Maybe I imagined it, but it looked like Satchmo actually stared at Neal with concern before following her toward the back door. Before leaving my sight, my wife shot me a look that very clearly said, _Don’t screw this up!_

I gave her a serious nod and returned my attention to Neal. He was looking down at his feet and I noticed that he’d slipped off his right shoe and nudged it under the table. I didn’t comment on it, thinking I’d also feel silly with just one shoe on. He was wiggling his toes slightly but stood still otherwise, and I suddenly felt proud of him. It can’t have been easy to agree to this unusual and painful consequence.

I also felt better about myself delivering it, grateful that El had put a stop to me punishing Neal without his consent. What had begun as an impulsive action was now a mutual decision.

The right one, I hoped...

**TBC**


End file.
